Hearsay Evidence in Florida Criminal Trials You're sitting in court, watching the prosecutor question a witness on the stand. Suddenly, your defense attorney objects and shouts, "Hearsay!" But what does "hearsay" mean? As your Miami criminal defense attorneys, we know Florida's rules about hearsay evidence inside and out. We fight daily to prevent unreliable hearsay statements from being used [...]
Marsy's Law: Crime Victims' Rights in Florida In Florida, crime victims and their families have certain constitutionally guaranteed rights under what is known as Marsy's Law. The constitutional amendment, named after Marsalee "Marsy" Nicholas, a victim of a brutal crime, was designed to protect and empower crime victims. The amendment to the state constitution was approved by voters in [...]
Can a Florida Prosecutor Dismiss a Criminal Case Just Because the Victim Doesn’t Want to Press Charges? You were the victim of a crime like assault, theft, or domestic violence. You filed a police report, and the perpetrator was arrested and charged with a crime. The prosecutor's office has contacted you and says they need your full cooperation to proceed [...]
Rite Aid's Reckless Facial Recognition Practices The recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint against Rite Aid provides an alarming case study of a major retailer recklessly deploying facial recognition technology to profile customers. Emma Roth's recent article in The Verge highlighted that Rite Aid secretly used facial recognition systems in hundreds of stores from 2012 to 2020 to identify [...]
Google Data Policy Change: Implications for Florida Geofence Warrants What Are Geofence Warrants And How Do They Impact Your Privacy Rights? Geofence warrants allow police to request location and movement data from Google on all users within a specific area during a particular time period. With just this blanket search warrant, officers can access incredibly revealing personal information without [...]
What Is a Notice to Appear? You likely have many questions if you or a loved one has received a notice to appear (NTA) for a criminal case in Miami-Dade County. As experienced Florida criminal defense attorneys, we understand this can be stressful. This guide explains key things about notices to appear in Florida, your rights and options, and [...]
Police Interrogation Tactics in Florida You've been arrested. The flashing lights, the sirens, the handcuffs – a scene ripped straight out of a crime thriller, except this time, you're the star, and the script isn't in your hands. Now, you're facing the interrogation room, a bare square with a single table and two chairs, and across from you sits [...]
Restitution in Florida Criminal Cases You’ve been arrested and charged with a crime in Florida. Your first concerns are possible jail time, fines, a criminal record, and other direct penalties. But there’s another consequence looming that you also need to understand—the possibility of paying restitution. An Overview of Criminal Restitution in Florida Simply put, criminal restitution refers to [...]
The Trial Penalty You're likely overwhelmed and confused if you face criminal charges in Miami, Florida. One of your most important decisions is whether to go to trial or take a plea bargain. While a plea bargain can seem tempting in the short term, it's crucial to understand the potential consequences, including the trial penalty. What is the [...]
Discovery in Florida Criminal Cases If you’ve been arrested and charged with a crime in Florida, you probably have many questions about what happens next. One important part of the criminal justice process is something called “discovery.” Keep reading to discover what discovery is, why it matters, and how an experienced Miami criminal defense lawyer can help ensure you [...]
